Self-contained cooling system



Jan; 10, 1967 E. W. GOUGH SELF-CONTAINED COOLING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled Feb. 2, 1966 Jan. 10, 1967 E. W. GOUGH SELF-CONTANED COOLINGSYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1966 INVENTOR. [mw/@ h/m/ MQUnited States Patent Office 3,296,819 SELF-CONTAINED COOLING SYSTEMEdward W. Gough, Sierra Madre, Calif., assgnor to Protection, Inc.,Gardena, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Feb. 2, 1966, Ser.No. 533,747 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-259) This is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Serial No. 411,222, filed November 16, 1964, and nowabandoned. The present invention relates to insulated wearing appareland in particular to wearing apparel for providing selfcontained coolingof persons exposed to elevated temperature environments such as jetaircraft pilots, firemen and racing car drivers.

In present day high speed aircraft it is axiomatic that some means forcooling the cockpit must be provided due to the sizeable amounts of heatwhich 4build up within the cockpit as a result of air friction on thefuselage and Wings. To provide this cooling a plane is normally equippedwith some form of mechanical air conditioner or heat exchanger connectedto a pilots ight suit. Such cooling means are disadvantageous in severalrespects. Use of such mechanical equipment means a significantadditional Weight requirement in a situation where weight is normallycritical in its effect on range and speed. The equipment is alsocumbersome in that it requires plumbing which must be connected anddisconnected vfrom the flight suit eac-h time he enters and exits fromthe cockpit.

In a similar fashion there is a need for providing cooled protectiveclothing for use by firemen. There are occasions in combating reswhether they be in structures or brush and forest when it is necessaryfor firemen to expose themselves almost directly to the flames in orderto extinguish them. In situations of this type it is common to providesuch a iireghter with an asbestos suit. However, With the intense andunrelieved heat surrounding the suit, only a very limited exposure tothis heat can be endured before the firefighter is prostrated by it. Toprovide some means of cooling in the conventional manner again requiresplumbing similar to that used for airplane pilots. Added disadvantageswould be present in that much longer lengths of plumbing would berequired. The attendant possibilities of fouling and snagging of thelines makes such an approach impractical.

A third instance of a situation Where cooling or air conditioning meanswould have a significantly salutary effect in terms of lives saved is inhigh speed race car driving. In the typical racing car the driver isconfined to the barest minimum of space since these cars are designed toprovide a maximum of power with a minimum of weight. With the highoctane gasoline fuels that are currently being used in racing it isreasonable to expect that accidents such as occurred in the 1964Memorial Day SOO-mile race in Indianapolis will reoccur. In that case itwill be recalled that five or six cars were involved in an accident inwhich flaming gasoline was spewed across the race track and onfollowingcars were forced to drive directly into the flames. Due to the extremeheat two drivers were killed. Although both were wearing protectivesuits, the suits were ineffective in preventing high heat buildup withinthe suit.

Patented Jan. 1U, i967 The present invention proposes a solution to theproblems outlined above. One outstanding advantage is that it provides aself-contained cooling `system independent of the need for plumbing orumbilical cords which must be connected to a source of air conditioning.A second advantage is that it is self-regulating, the amount of coolingprovided depends on the heat environment in which the wearer findshimself. Depending on the heat outside the suit and the wearers activitythe amount of cooling provided automatically increases and decreases.

The present invention provides a self-contained cooling system for ahuman body. The system includes an insulated protective garment and aplurality of porous containers for accepting charges of a vaporizablerefrigerant disposed inside the suit. Means are interposed between therefrigerant and the suit for insulating the refrigerant from heat fromthe exterior of the suit. A non-insulating open cell foamed plastic isinterposed between the refrigerant and the wearers body to space therefrigerant a predetermined distance from the body and to aid thecirculation of cooling vapors from the refrigerant adjacent to the body.

Preferably this self-contained cooling system is provided in the form ofa jacket or vest that can be worn under an insulated impermeable garmentwith a plurality of containers for a refrigerant such as solid carbondioxide disposed on the side of the vest opposite the wearers body. Thevest comprises a layer of an open cell foam adapted to be disposedadjacent to the wearers body and attached to this layer of foam arecontainers for maintaining the cooling medium in a particularorientation with respect to the body. The effectiveness of the containeris enhanced by including within it a layer of closed cell foam on theside of the refrigerant opposite the open cell foam on which is disposedan aluminized Mylar sheet. This layer further insulates the refrigerantfrom sources `of heat external to the suit. The layers of materiallocated between the refrigerant and the wearers body are woven cloth orother porous material to permit the relatively free circulation ofcooling vapors through these layers and the open cell foam to enhancethe cooling effect of the system.

These and other features of the invention will be more readilyunderstood in conjunction with the following description and drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a graph relating the quantities of Dry Ice needed foreffective cooling to the activity of the user;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a man wearing a vest and trousers inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view taken from the rear showing also a section of theinsulated suit worn externally of the vest and trousers and a hood to beworn with the suit;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along ylines 4-4 of FIG. 3 of one of thecontainers of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken along lines 5 5 of FIG. 3 of a containerprovided in the hood,

To more fully understand the adaptability of this type of cooling forthe purposes disclosed it is worthwhile to examine in some detail thedynamics of heat generated by the human body in conjunction with thegraph of FIG. l. Depending on its degree of activity the human bodygenerates approximately 350 to 1020 B.t.u.s per hour. When thetemperature of the environment in which the wearer is located does notexceed 150 F., the primary task of the cooling vest of this invention isto absorb the heat generated by the body to prevent a ternperaturebuildup within an insulated garment worn externally of the vest. Byproviding quantities of solid CO2 or other vaporizable refrigerantdistributed at least over the upper part of the wearers torso the vestis capable of absorbing this heat for extended periods even when he isengaged in maximum physical activity. In those situations where thewearer is subjected to temperatures exceeding 150 F. the time durationof protection is reduced due to the additional amounts of heat whichmust be absorbed by the Dry Ice. However, even at these highertemperatures the temperature inside the protective outer garment can bemaintained at reasonable levels for a significant length of time.

The preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2`and 3. In those figures articles of wearing apparel, specifically avest 5 and leg coverings 7, are adapted to be worn by the user beneathan outer suit 3. The suit is a protective and insulated covering such asan asbestos suit which resists the effects of heat applied externally ofthe suit and confines the vapors from the sublimated refrigerant to thearea immediately adjacent to the wearers body for efficient cooling.

Referring now to FIG. 2 the invention is shown iu the form of a vest 5and leg coverings 7, In the particular embodiment shown, the front ofthe vest S consists of panels running vertically along the front of theupper torso. The leg coverings 7 are likewise provided with verticalpanels 26, 28, 36 and 37 running along the front and back of each leg.The exact distribution of the various refrigerant containers 6, 18, 30and 38 varies depending on the area of the body to be cooled and thebody position which the wearer will normally assume.

As shown in FIG. 2 the vest 5 comprises panels 2 and 4 provided withslots or pockets 6 adapted to receive charges or blocks of Dry Ice. Thevest is closed in the front by a zipper 8 and panels 2 and 4 join theback panel 22 of the vest to dene an opening 10 for the wearers head.Running down each side of the vest are several adjustable belts 16attached to front panels 2 and 4 and the larger back panel 22. Thesebelts can be lengthened or shortened depending on the size and girth ofthe wearer.

Viewed from the rear as depicted in FIG- 3, the vest consists of onesolid panel or piece of material on which vertical rows of containers 18for the refrigerant have been located. A vertical seam 20 and ahorizontal seam 23 are provided to hold the lling material with whichthe vest is stuffed in position relative to the skin fabric of vest towhich the pockets are attached. The relationship of these variousmaterials will be examined in more detail in conjunction with thedescription of FIG. 4. When provided in the form of a vest the inventionhas an appearance very much similar to kapok life preservers found onlarge passenger carrying vessels.

The embodiment of the vest shown is capable of handling twelve discretepackages of refrigerant. The pockets in this particular vest are capableof handling slabs of refrigerant approximately 6 inches by 6 inches by5%; inch. Each slap weighs approximately one pound thereby enabling thewearer to carry approximately twelve pounds of refrigerant in the vest.

In many applications contemplated for this invention, where thetemperature outside the suit is in the 150 F. range or less, the vestalone carries enough refrigerant to satisfactorily cool the interior ofthe suit for a length of time which can be determined by reference toFIG. 1. This can be traced to the fact that the sublimed carbon dioxidegas (where Dry Ice is the refrigerant) is heavier than air and tends toabsorb perspiration given off by the wearer to make it even heavier.This heavier gas tends to settle into the lower extremity cavities ofthe outer suit and carries the cooling effect of the gas to this part ofthe body as well. In situations where the level and duration of thephysical activity of the wearer can be accurately forecast the amount ofDry Ice provided can be tailored accordingly. Even where extra amountsare provided to accommodate unforseeable problems or where the level ofactivity is lower than expected, the system still performs withoutdiscomfort due to the complementary self-regulating effects of the bodyand the Dry Ice.

Other advantages attendant on the use of Dry Ice include the fact thatthe carbon dioxide is non-toxic and nonirritating to human skin.Pressure buildup within the suit is avoided because the suit is neverperfectly air tight thereby permitting the gas to escape throughzippers, seams, and arm and leg holes. However, by virtue of thepresence of the gas within the suit a positive outpressure tends tobuild up and prevent the entry of toxic gases therein.

In higher temperature situations it may be desirable or necessary toaugment the capacity of the vest by providing additional supplies ofrefrigerant. As shown in FIG. 2 leg coverings 7 comprising front panels26 and 28 are provided with four refrigerant containers 30. The panels26 and 28 begin at approximately the upper thigh and are secured at thewaist by a belt or harness arrangement 34. In the back the arrangementis similar to that of the front only in this instance the two panels areeach provided with three refrigerant containers 38. This is normallydone to prevent the location of refrigerant directly beneath the wearerwhen he is in a sitting position thereby avoiding the sensation of coldspots and preventing unnecessarily high dissipation of the refrigerantdue to the enforced close proximity of the wearers body to the containerof refrigerant. Belts 24 similar to those used with the vest can beprovided to draw the front and rear Ileg panels snugly against thewearers leg.

In addition to a suit covering the torso and limbs, a protectivecovering for the wearers head and shoulders in the form of a hood 9 isprovided. The hood is preferably fabricated from a protective insulatedmaterial similar to that used in the fabrication of the suit 3. Atransparent window 11 of plexiglass or similar material attached to thefront of the hood permits the wearer to have a substantiallyunobstructed view. On the rear of the hood and exteriorly thereof acontainer 13 is provided similar to the containers provided on the vest5 and leg coverings 7. Container 13 is likewise adapted to receive ablock or slab of refrigerant for cooling the interior of the hood.Depending on the size and disposition of the container chosen it ispossible to locate more than one such container on the hood in -thoseinstances where provision for additional cooling appears warranted.

Examining the construction of a typical refrigerant container of thisinvention as depicted in FIG. 4, a section view taken along lines 4 4 ofFIG. 3, we find that it is constructed in the following manner. Thebasic element is a layer 40 of an open cell foam preferably 1/2 to 3Ainch thick. This material has sufficient rigidity and incompressibilityto give shape to the garment and serves as the foundation to which theother parts of the garment are attached.

An open cell foamed plastic such as polyurethane foam has been found tobe satisfactory in this capacity. There are, however, no specicrestrictions on the type of foam used. It is preferable that it be 75%to 90% void because in addition to providing form and body for the pieceof protective clothing, the foam is also important in permittingcirculation of cooling vapors within the protective outer suit toprovide more uniform generalized cooling and prevent the occurrence ofcold spots.

In one embodiment, a panel 39 compris-ing the layer of `foam 40 isencased between a piece of loosely woven Dacron 42 and a piece of somemore substantial material 44 such as a somewhat more closely woven nylon"or acron. -While the use of loosely woven Daeron and nylon on theinterior side of the foam is not a rigid requirement, it is preferableIin order to provide a highly permeable layer next to the wearers bodyin order to permit optimum circulation of cooling vapors.

The use of woven or other porous materials around the foam and betweenthe charges of vaporizable refrigerant and the foam permits circulationof the cooling vapors between the fibers of the weave and allows thevapors to pass from the refrigerant containers through the rear layer ofthe container and the two layers covering the foam to the wearers body.The more permeable or porous the materials between the refrigerant andthe body the greater the transmission of the cooling vapors from therefrigerant charges to a point adjacent to wearers body. Hence thepreference for using a loosely woven or gauze-like layer as shown inFIG. 4 between the foam and the wearers body. A closer woven material isused in layer 44 to provide added garment strength.

Aiiixed to the panel 39 -is a container 46 in the form of a pocket. Thepocket material which may be of the same material as the outer covering44 of the foam is provided with a iiap 48 and means for securing the apto the pocket such as a self-adhering zipper, the zipper comprising afibrous strip 52 on the iiap 48 the fibers of which are adapted to behooked by a plurality of small hooks on the strip 53 attached to thepocket. One type of such a zipper is marketed by the E. I. du Pont deNemou-rs & Company under the trademark Velcro. As a partial liner forthe pocket and located on the side of a slab of refrigerant 54 oppositethe foam layer 49 is a second insulating layer 47. In one embodiment,this insulating layer comprises a layer of closed cell foam 5S to whichhas been atiixed a multi-layer arrangement comprising a layer of rayoncloth 60, a thin gauge sheet of aluminum 61 which has been adhesivelysecured to the rayon and a film of Myla-r (polyester lm) 62 coated onthe aluminum. This assembly of foam, rayon, aluminum and Mylar are sewntogether into the container 46. A refrigerant or source of coolingvapors 54, such as a charge of Dry Ice, is inserted in the pocket justprior to use.

The closed cell foam 58 which may be another variety of foamed plasticsuch as a vinyl foam is preferably 1A inch thick and serves to insulatethe refrigerant from heat from the external side of the container andthe exterior of the protective suit to prevent accelerated dissipationof the refrigerant. The aluminum sheet 61 also retards dissipation ofthe refrigerant by reflecting radiant heat away from the refrigerant 54.The Mylar lm 62 is coated over the aluminum sheet for strength anddurability and to prevent damage to the aluminum when a slab ofrefrigerant is being yinserted in the pocket.

In FIG. 5, a section view of the container 13 provided in the hood 9,th-e disposition of the various elements is substantially the same asthat of the containers provided in the vest 5 and leg coverings 7. Inthis instance, however, the hood is not provided with a liner of opencell foam. Instead it is lined with a protective layer 15 such as aclosed cell foam except in the area adjacent container 13. The containeris attached to the exterior side of the material 17 from which the hoodis fabricated and is lined on the side of the refrigerant opposite theinterior of the hood with an insulating layer 19 such as the closed cellfoam-rayon-aluminum-Mylar layer previously described. The container,which can be fabricated from the same material as the hood, is adaptedto receive a charge of refrigerant 21 and is closed by a flap 25. Flap25 is also lined with a layer 27, preferably a closed cell foam, toimprove the insulation of the charge of refrigerant 21.

In brief, the system of the present invention provides a cooling systemfor a human body which is self-contained and eas-ily portable. By virtueof its unique design, circulation of cooling vapors within the interioror inner boundary layer of a protective, insulated, preferablyimpermeable outer garment is accomplished. Further, due to therelationship of the refrigerant corrtainers and the wearers body and thechoice of the various materials spacing the refrigerant from the body,the vaporized coolant is permitted to circulate over the wearers bodyseparated from the skin only by whatever layers of clothing the wearerhas on. This is to be contrasted with prior art systems wherein aninsulated and impermeable layer is deliberately interposed between thevaporized coolant and the body.

A vest as depicted in the preceding disclosure is effective -attemperatures up to F. for approximately four hours when the wearer isengaged in maximum physical activity. As activity is reduced belowmaximum the length of serviceability is extended. In addition to beingused by pilots, firemen and race car drivers, other applicationcontemplated for this type of wearing apparel are various industrialuses where there is a need to enter high temperature environments andmilitary applications such as on aircraft carrier flight decks forprotecting both the pilot and flight deck crew in case of crashlandings.

In addition to being useful for extending periods at temperatures ofapproximately 150 F., this invention is suitable for safe use attemperatures between 350 F. and 400 F. for shorter periods of time, 0nthe order of 30 minutes.

What is claimed is:

1. A container for a solid vaporizable refrigerant adapted for use in aninsulated, self-contained, cooling system in the form of a covering forthe human body, the container comprising:

a refrigerant charge-receiving portion;

a layer of insulating material defining an external wall of saidcharge-receiving portion for shielding the charge-receiving portion fromheat sources located externally of the body covering;

a layer of an open cell foamed plastic of a predetermined thicknessdefining an interior wall of said charge-receiving portion for spacing acharge of refrigerant placed within the charge-receiving portion apredetermined distance from a wearers body while permitting the passageof cooling vapors therethrough;

vapor permeable receptacle means for disposing the refrigerant chargebetween the external and interior walls of the receiving portion; and

mounting means for disposing said container between the body coveringinterior and the wearers body with the interior wall of the containerportion being located closest to the wearers body.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the layer of open cellfoamed plastic is a layer of polyurethane foam having atleast 75% voids.

3. A container according to claim 1 wherein the external wall of thecontainer portion comprises a layer of a closed cell foam material and alayer of aluminized polyester film affixed to the side of the closedcell foam material adjacent the refrigerant charge.

4. A self-contained cooling system for the human body comprising:

an impermeable protective first garment adapted to cover the entirebody;

a permeable second garment adapted to be worn interiorly of said firstgarment;

at least one vaporizable refrigerant container, said containercomprising:

a refrigerant charge-receiving portion;

a layer of insulating material defining an external wall of saidcharge-receiving portion for shielding the charge-receiving portion fromheat sources located externally of the system;

a layer of an open cell foamed plastic of a predetermined thicknessdelining an interior wall of 7 8 said charge-receiving portion forspacing a References Cited by the Examiner charge of refrigerant placedyvithinthe charge- UNITED STATES PATENTS receivlng portlon apredetermined distance from a wearers body while permitting the passageof 21,731,808 1/1956 Stark 165-46 X cooling vapors therethrough; 53,074,250 1/1963 Everett 62-259 vapor permeable receptacle means fordisposing the 3,174,301 3/1965 Tilomton et al- 62-291 refrigerant chargebetween the external and inl 3'176116 3/1965 Llvhter 219-345 teriorwalls of the receiving portion; FOREIGN PATENTS means for closmg thecontainer portion to hold the refrigerant charge therewithin; and 10455283 10/1936 Great Bmam mounting means for disposing said containerbe- MEYER PERLIN Primary Examiner tween the rst garment interior and thesecond garment exterior with the interior panel of the ROBERTA- OLEARY,Examinercontainer portion being located closest to the W EIWAYNER,AsssmntExaminer. wearers body. 15

4. A SELF-CONTAINED COOLING SYSTEM FOR THE HUMAN BODY COMPRISING: ANIMPERMEABLE PROTECTIVE FIRST GARMENT ADAPTED TO COVER THE ENTIRE BODY; APERMEABLE SECOND GARMENT ADAPTED TO BE WORN INTERIORLY OF SAID FIRSTGARMENT; AT LEAST ONE VAPORIZABLE REFRIGERANT CONTAINER, SAID CONTAINERCOMPRISING: A REFRIGERANT CHARGE-RECEIVING PORTION; A LAYER OFINSULATING MATERIAL DEFINING AN EXTERNAL WALL OF SAID CHARGE-RECEIVINGPORTION FOR SHIELDING THE CHARGE-RECEIVING PORTION FROM HEAT SOURCESLOCATED EXTERNALLY OF THE SYSTEM; A LAYER OF AN OPEN CELL FOAMED PLASTICOF A PREDETERMINED THICKNESS DEFINING AN INTERIOR WALL OF SAIDCHARGE-RECEIVING PORTION FOR SPACING A CHARGE OF REFRIGERANT PLACEDWITHIN THE CHARGERECEIVING PORTION A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM AWEARER''S BODY WHILE PERMITTING THE PASSAGE OF COOLING VAPORSTHERETHROUGH; VAPOR PERMEABLE RECEPTACLE MEANS FOR DISPOSING THEREFRIGERANT CHARGE BETWEEN THE EXTERNAL AND INTERIOR WALLS OF THERECEIVING PORTION; MEANS FOR CLOSING THE CONTAINER PORTION TO HOLD THEREFRIGERANT CHARGE THEREWITHIN; AND MOUNTING MEANS FOR DISPOSING SAIDCONTAINER BETWEEN THE FIRST GARMENT INTERIOR AND THE SECOND GARMENTEXTERIOR WITH THE INTERIOR PANEL OF THE CONTAINER PORTION BEING LOCATEDCLOSEST TO THE WEARER''S BODY.